Mumbai Lab Construction

The architecture of the BMW Guggenheim Lab structure is designed to be responsive to the cities the Lab visits. For the Mumbai Lab, Atelier Bow-Wow of Tokyo, working with Mumbai’s SDM Architects, designed a structure uniquely suited to the densely populated environment of Mumbai. Modeled after the Indian mandapa, a raised outdoor pavilion traditionally used for public celebrations and events, the Mumbai Lab structure is constructed primarily of bamboo and evokes a light, open and transparent quality. Here, Atelier Bow-Wow's Mirai Morita talks about the collaborative process of creating the Lab with Nagpur-based company Wonder Grass, and discusses some of the challenges of building with bamboo.